Justification of a Deficit Mentality in a Division I Intercollegiate Athletic Department

Abstract

In the competitive context of Division I (DI) intercollegiate sport, an unwillingness to undertake change can often reflect the attitudes of complacency on the part of stakeholders, that their institution is doing an adequate job in providing the optimal experience for its student-athletes, or resignation, that they can do no more to increase success. This paper examines New State University’s, a pseudonym for a DI Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), organizational deficit thinking. It demonstrates prevalent deficit thinking in intercollegiate athletics and offers suggestions to reframe such thinking. Schroeder’s (2010) case study cultural framework was used and the interaction of four collegiate environments examined. These were institutional culture, leadership and power, internal athletic department, and external athletic department. Data collection and triangulation analysis included 36 interviews, researcher observations, photos, archival data, and social media. The complexity of assumptions, traditions, deeply held beliefs, and values suggests a proud sense of identity projected to the outside world that, nevertheless, prevents the internal athletic department’s ability to address perennial deficit thinking. In this case, the nexus justifying deficit thinking centered on geographical location of the university. Specifically, location was blamed for team losses, inability to retain quality coaches, and a negative culture of fandom. On a larger scale, deficit thinking may be prevalent in many DI universities attempting to compete with the few programs with perennial championships across sports.